S5:E14 - Maree & Ellena - From the very first appointment to the other side
From No need for Prince Charming by Alisha Burns
June 1, 2026 · 1h 11m · Season 5 · Episode 14
About this episode
Maree shares her journey through fertility treatments and the challenges she faced leading to the birth of her daughter, Ellena.
When Maree came on to record, she had just had her very first IUI. She was 35, freshly into treatment, overwhelmed by the scan schedule, quietly terrified, and moving back in with her parents to make it financially possible. We recorded Part 1 that day. Then we waited. Part 2 picks up on the other side — after two unsuccessful IUIs, a full IVF cycle with PCOS that produced 29 eggs and four embryos, a frozen transfer that worked on the first attempt, and the arrival of Ellena via a planned maternal-assisted caesarean. Maree pulled her own daughter out. She cut the cord herself. In between, she navigated a lot. Fibroids that grew significantly during IVF and were monitored throughout pregnancy. An anterior placenta that meant she barely felt Ellena move until 26 weeks. Nausea so constant and all-consuming that she didn't show until very late — the hospital receptionist didn't believe she was there for a caesarean. Tongue tie, silent reflux, and a Tresilian residential stay that changed everything. And a hip dysplasia diagnosis — DDH — that her maternal health nurse picked up at two weeks, and that her paediatrician almost let slip through. Ellena is currently in a Rhino brace…
People in this episode
Host: Alisha Burns
Guest: Maree
Topics covered
- fertility treatment
- IVF
- parenting
- health challenges
- maternal health
Keywords
- IUI
- IVF
- PCOS
- maternal-assisted caesarean
- hip dysplasia
- disability support
- anterior placenta
- silent reflux
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Tresilian
Places: New South Wales
More episodes of No need for Prince Charming
- S5:E15 - What you need to know about being induced as a solo mum · June 8, 2026 · 1h 21m
- S5:E12 - Lucia & Gabe (part 2) · May 18, 2026 · 1h 2m
- S5:E13 -Gemma,Thomas & Henry - PCOS, Perinatal Loss & Pregnancy After Loss · May 18, 2026 · 1h 8m
- S5:E11 - Lucia (part 1) · May 11, 2026 · 1h 5m
- S5:E10 - The Considering Stage: Why Making the Decision is the Hardest Part · May 4, 2026 · 38 min
- S5:E9 - Michelle & Vayda-Rae - The long wait, the leap & life on the other side · April 27, 2026 · 1h 12m
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